


Light of an Altruist

by Felix_Yussupov



Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Angst, Cute, Cute Kids, Cute Legolas, Distant!But-Not-A-Jerk-Thranduil, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Hair Braiding, M/M, Romance, Slow Build, i just need some sappy love badly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-31
Updated: 2015-04-05
Packaged: 2018-03-20 12:25:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3650277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Felix_Yussupov/pseuds/Felix_Yussupov
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After running away from his home and the tragedy of his mother's death, Legolas confronts more demons than just his own. Hurt, wounded, and heartbroken in more than one way, he stumbles right into the sight of a little boy suffering from a few of the same heartbreaks.</p><p>This leads him into the arms of a struggling family and the man who saved him from the fall. Legolas feels drawn and thankful to the man who cared for him when wounded, and grows fond of his children too. Can he help this struggling man, his savior, whose wounds aren't obvious?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Fall

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! This isn't my first work for the fandom but it's my first work on this site, so, let's just see how everything goes. Constructive criticism appreciated, happy reading.

He heard something, the boy was sure he did. Spotting a nearby bush, he crouched low into ground, trying to remain as invisible as possible.  
Hayden stood very, very still, because he heard from the older men in the village that if a bear or another huge animal was nearby the best thing to do was to be very, very still.  
Afraid that his breath would stir and alert the bear of his presence, Hayden took a large, slow breath and held it, listening.  
Birdsong was in the air, but right now instead of sounding sweet like the flowers of spring, their cries were ominous chirps the disturbed the scene around him.  
More rocks fell from the ridge, clacking along as they did. They fell over each other, making a harsh and grading sound. That's why whatever was about had to be an animal, no one from the village would be stupid enough to miss the ridge.  
The boy didn’t dare turn around, afraid that even the movement of his head would alert whatever was stumbling down the ridge. If it was something dangerous, Hayden hoped that it would hurt itself so he could escape back to the village.  
Pa always told him to stay out of the woods unless accompanied. There were dangerous creatures in there, from trolls to wolves, and it wasn’t safe for boys to be wandering about in.  
But he wasn’t a boy now. He was a man, and he could prove it. If he was man enough to take care of Amelia, then he was man enough to scout the forest alone.  
More rocks fell from the ridge, bouncing down, some falling into the stream with a plop.  
There were a few seconds of silence from everything around him, even the babbling of the creek seemed muted. The only thing Hayden could hear was the quick beating of his heart. Then, a shout filled the air, something no bear or wolf could make, startling Hayden enough to jump from his hiding place in a panic.  
A figure fell over the ridge so fast Hayden barely caught a glimpse of a slender, green clad form before they hit the soft ground with an audible thump.  
Hayden looked with wide brown eyes at the fallen form before bounding over in a panic.  
"Are you alright?" He shouted, quickly stumbling on his knees beside the person and shaking them.  
A shock of long, golden hair fell from the stranger's hood, and a soft moan escaped their lips.  
Hayden stood up, dirt covering his knees and panic in his eyes. A lady! Only a lady would have hair like that.  
"Don't worry, I'll get help!" He said to the unconscious stranger. He swiftly ran in the opposite direction, grateful at his lanky long legs for being of some use other than to awkwardly stumble into things.  
The trees weren't as dense in this part of the forest, and Hayden had no trouble navigating through them back to the village.  
"Pa! Pa!" He shouted, running along the dirt road that lead to the heart of the village. Many townsfolk looked on worriedly. It wasn't that big of a town, and Hayden knew most of the people in the village.  
In his haste he nearly ran into an older lady carrying a chicken, "Hey! Watch it," she shouted after him but he paid no heed to her chastisement.  
"Pa," he shouted again, running into the shop where his father's forge was and slamming the door open, to be met with the bewilderment of his father's face at seeing his son in such a disheveled state.  
"Hayden? What on earth has gotten into you, boy?" Zakir said, slowly putting down his hammer and turning from the forge.  
"A lady, she's hurt! Fell from the ridge in the forest,"  
Hayden didn't usually play tricks like this, "Show me," the blacksmith said with a frown, "I'll question why you were in the forest alone later." The man hastily took of his heavy forging apron and followed his son out the door.  
Neither of the saw Mr. Burkhardt heading towards the shop, and Zakir nearly stumbled into the merchant.  
"Zakir? Is everything alright?" The old man asked, his voice cracking.  
"Sorry Mr. Burkhardt, Hayden said a lady fell from the ridge and is hurt."  
"Pa, hurry, come on." Hayden said, his voice giving away his impatience.  
The old man looked at Zakir with a mixture of shock and confusion, "is there anything I can do?" He asked, wide eyed.  
"If you could see if Pias is home, maybe she can be of help?"  
"You put too much faith into that old healer," Mr. Burkhardt shook his head.  
"Pa!"  
"Just, see what you can do," he said before pivoting on his heel and taking off after his son, who wasted no time in running through the village into the forest.  
Zakir had no trouble keeping up with his young son, who dashed into the thin tress with ease. Only when they passed the creek did Hayden stop, Zakir coming up behind him.  
"There," he pointed to a prostrate figure clad in green.  
Zakir ran to the figure, and fell on his knees beside the stranger. Gently, he turned the stranger around facing him, and slowly brushed the hood back from their face. He didn't bother to hide his gasp.  
"Pa? Is she alright?" Hayden asked curiously, taking a step forward.  
"This is no lady, lad." Zakir answered.  
The stranger was beautiful, with skin that glowed and unearthly soft light. He was male, of that Zakir was sure, but he was more lovely than any of the females in the village. Tenderly, he tucked back a few of those long golden strands behind a delicately pointed ear.  
Hayden took a few steps closer and knelt beside his father, brown eyes wide and curious. "He's pretty. I didn't know men could be pretty."  
"I don't believe this is a man, lad. I think we're looking at an elf."  
"An elf? What's an elf doing here?"  
"Falling over ridges, apparently." A soft moan escaped the elf's lips. "We need to get him back to the village."  
Zakir gently picked the elf up, cradling his head near his chest in a hopefully comfortable position. "Hayden, put his hood back up. I don't know how the others in the village would react to seeing an elf, there are many superstitions about their kind."  
The boy did as he was told, and though the elf was surprisingly light, Hayden still moved faster than his father through the forest.  
The elf let out another long, pained moan, making Zakir's heart stop for a moment. "Shh, shh, shhh," he told the unconscious creature, "You'll be safe soon."  
Their house was near the edge of the town. It was small, but not any different from the rest of the houses in the village, besides the baron's house in the centre of the town.  
Other villagers stared at them with worry in their eyes. News in this town travels fast, and it was no wonder that people were curious as who the hurt stranger was.  
Hayden opened the door to their house, letting Zakir and the injured elf inside. Amelia came bounding up to them, excited and both scared for the fate of the stranger.  
"People are saying a lady got hurt," his youngest said, concern in her eyes, "is she alright?"  
"Is Pias around? She may be the only one that can fully understand the situation."  
"Mr. Burkhardt sent for her, and she's in the kitchen."  
The healer in question came from a round the corner of the kitchen, only to raise an eyebrow at the figure in Zakir's arms.  
"Amelia, girl, go into the kitchen and fill that wooden bowl of with some fresh water from the well." She said in her low, almost sultry voice.  
"But I want to help the lady," the girl pouted, crossing her arms over her small chest.  
"You will help, darling. Take Hayden with you."  
"I can go to the well by myself, I don't need Hayden."  
"Yeah, I want to stay and help Pa," the boy complained.  
Pias merely chuckled and knelt down next to the children, the coins on her sash making a jingling sound as she did so. "I have another task for you," at that the children seemed to light up, Pias was always a little mischievous. "Hayden knows that the wounded stranger is an elf-"  
"But how did you know that?" Hayden asked, interrupting her.  
"If you must know, I can sense it, in his aura. It's very light, almost a little like looking into the sun."  
"He glows," Hayden mumbled, staring at the healer in wonder.  
"Let me see, let me see!" Amelia cried, coming towards her father just as he was lying the elf down on the man's bed. She stood over him in awe. "He's very beautiful."  
Pias smiled, "Yes. Now I need you two to listen for talk in the village. Some do not take keenly to elves."  
Amelia and Hayden nodded in understanding. The healer pulled a little sack out of her belt and opened it, taking out a coin and giving it to the siblings. "And buy yourself something sweet while you're at it. I need to talk to your father alone."  
Excited, both children left the house, aware of the other villagers craning their necks to try to get a peek inside. It wasn't often something exciting happened in the village, and a stranger falling from the ridge proved to be excitement enough.  
Once they left, Pias turned to Zakir. "Is he hurt?" He asked her.  
She knelt down beside him, placing her palm over the elf's forehead. She looked down at a twisted ankle and focused her attentions there. He moaned in pain when she touched it, and she gently pressed around the ankle before slowly taking off the elf's boot.  
What was revealed was a red, swollen ankle, twisted unnaturally to the side. Pias made a tsk-ing sound, "Poor dear broke his ankle." She turned to the elf, as if he was conscious, "this might hurt a bit, sweetheart." She said before setting the bone back in its place, making the elf wince in his sleep. Her hands deftly reached into her belt and took out white, clean gauze and slowly, but tightly, wrapped it around the elf's ankle. "He should stay off that for a few weeks," she said to Zakir seriously, "he will likely be confused and frighten when he awakes, but you must make sure he stays calm and doesn't put pressure on that ankle, lest he hurt himself more."  
"I understand," Zakir said.  
Next, she moved to the creature's head, being as careful as possible. "He hit it when he fell, but I see no lasting damage," she concluded, laying the elf's head back on the pillow. "Make sure he eats when he awakes in a few hours. I'll bring over some soup later for you and your family."  
"You don't have to do that, Pias." Zakir said, turning to the elf and grabbing the creatures hand to hold in his own.  
"Someone has to take care of your family. I trust you will be staying with the elf instead of returning the the forge?" She asked, an eyebrow raised and hands on her hips.  
"Yes, madam healer," Zakir replied with humor in his voice as she turned to leave. 

Legolas turned around wildly, hearing his mothers cry in this dark place but not being able to see her. "Naneth?" He called out, but no answer. Then, a sharp scream filled the air, and through this hazy mist Legolas bounded toward the direction of his mother's cry.  
"Naneth? Naneth?" He called again, desperately trying to find her. But the fog was too thick, and the only thing he could see was the twisted, black branches from above.  
Time seemed to slow down, and his movements became lagged as his mother's screaming intensified.  
He saw her, dressed in white and lying on the burnt ground, blood pouring out of a wound on her stomach. Legolas sped up, panicking even more, but as soon as he went to touch her form, she vanished. Alone in the dark mist, Legolas began to cry. 

"Master Elf, Master Elf!" Zakir yelled, shaking the shoulders of the elf who was wailing in his sleep.  
Soon the elf's cries subsided, but then Zakir found tears running down through closed eyelids. Gently, he wiped them away with the pad of his thumb.  
It was an hour since Pias left, and for the most part the elf just mumbled in his sleep, but fifteen minutes ago he started to yell naneth.  
He wondered if he should get the healer.  
For the most part his children watched over the elf, Amelia certain that she would be his guardian until he got better. She almost seemed protective over the creature, and it made Zakir smile how she hovered over him.  
His daughter tucked a few strands of stray hair behind the elf's ear. "It's okay, elfy, I sometimes have bad dreams, too." She said to him.  
He kissed the top of her curly hair. "I have to go lock up the forge, will you stay with him while I'm gone?"  
"Yes, Pa. The elfy won't have bad dreams with me!" She declared, saluting her father.  
Zakir smiled and ruffled her hair as he stood up. When he exited the house Zakir was careful no curious villager took an unnecessary peek inside the house.  
Turning back to her daughter, he worried that the elf might wake up while he was gone, but then he shook his head. Of course he wouldn't, besides, it would only take a moment or two to lock up the shop.

Amelia leaned over the sleeping elf, watching his chest rise and fall. "You're very pretty, elfy." She said, then moved to gently poke at his ear. "I've never seen an elf before. Do you have brothers and sisters like we do?"  
She knew the elf wouldn't be able to hear her, but it was nice to fill the silence with something. "I bet you do. And a mommy and daddy?" Nothing. "I have a daddy, but mommy died when I was very young. Hayden remembers her, but I don't. I was too little." She sat down on the bed and placed her chin in her hand.  
The elf let out another soft moan, startling Amelia. She saw his furrowed brow and grew concerned. "Are you having another bad dream, elfy?" She asked. Another moan was his reply. "You'll be okay, elfy." She leaned over to gently pat his golden head, running her small hands through the strands soothingly while the elf wailed softly in his sleep.  
"Shh," she said like she was hushing a babe. He gasped, and suddenly those blue eyes fluttered open, looking at small Amelia with surprise and confusion.


	2. Questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Round two, kids.

A child? A human girl? Legolas thought as his groggy mind cleared. He furrowed his brow and tried to sit up but the girl, looking at him with wide brown eyes, placed her small hand on his chest.   
"Don't move, lay back down. You're hurt, elfy." She said, voice sweet but slow, as if she were speaking to a frightened animal.  
It took a moment for him to find his tongue, and to shake his mind from the mist, but then he wasted no time and asked, "Who are you? Where am I?"  
The girl stood up and puffed out her chest, as if she were trying to look important. "I'm Amelia, you're guardian, elfy. Pa rescued you after you fell from the ridge. Now you're here."   
Legolas looked at her amused, "My guardian? And were you the one watching over me while I was unconscious?"  
"Me and Pa and Hayden," she said proudly. "Though mostly me, Pa went to close the forge. He should be back soon and happy that you're awake. We were worried, elfy."  
"You shouldn't worry about me, I'll be fine," he tried to give her a convincing smile but she just crossed her arms, clearly not buying it.   
"You had nightmares while you were asleep. But it's okay, can I tell you a secret?" She asked, and leaned in conspiringly close. "I sometimes get nightmares, too. Pa has to wake me up but he's there to comfort me. I tried to do the same with you while you slept." She reached over and ran a small hand through his hair, and Legolas' heart went out to the girl.   
"Do you know what happened to me?" He asked and turned his head to the side to try to quell the tears forming in his eyes.  
"Hayden said you fell from the ridge. Pa sent for Pias to come and she said you broke your ankle and hurt yourself. Were you running from something?" She asked, curious.  
"Of a sort. Whose Hayden?"   
"Oh, Hayden's my brother. He's with Pias right now helping her cook some supper," at the elf's confused expression she amended, "Pias is the healer lady. She's very nice."   
At Legolas' nod Amelia asked, "you never told me you name, elfy."   
Legolas blushed, embarrassed at denying his small host that simple courtesy, "I'm Legolas, of the Woodland Realm."   
"Legolas, that's a pretty name, like you. Are all elfies as pretty as you are?" She asked, clear and innocent.   
Legolas blushed further and was about to reply before the door opened and a tall man walked in.  
"Pa! Legolas is awake!" She yelled, bounding up to her father and dragging him back to the bed where the elf was resting on.   
"He's awake?" Zakir asked in bewilderment, "is he feeling okay?" The man placed his large palm over the elf's forehead. "No sign of a fever."   
The elf let out a soft chuckle, placing his hand over the man's and slowly extracting it from his forehead. "Besides some pain in my ankle and head, I'm fine, good sir. Your daughter has been a most keen guardian."  
"That's right, I've been watching over him since he awoke, Pa. He says his name is Legolas and he's from the woods." She said proudly, smiling up at her father.   
Zakir only grunted a little as he picked his daughter up and held her in his strong arms. "You've been a very good watcher," he said before turning back to the elf, "I trust you have many questions, Master Elf."  
"Right now, only one. The name of my savior. What are you called?"   
Zakir chuckled, bouncing his daughter in his arms slightly, "My name is Zakir. I'm a blacksmith, no savior."   
"I believe you can be both," Legolas said, smiling up Zakir.  
Smiling back, Zakir turned to the little girl in his arms. "Amelia, my sweet, can you go to Pais and tell her that our guest woke up?"   
Amelia nodded as her father out her down, "That's my good girl."   
"See you in a bit," she called out as she exited the room and headed out the door.  
Legolas smiled after her, suddenly feeling drowsy again. "You daughter seems wonderful," he said with a yawn.  
"She can be, but also she's stubborn as a mule. Her way, goes, just like her mother."   
"I don't wish to be a burden on your family," Legolas said seriously, "I won't stay long."  
"Nonsense, you are to stay until your ankle heals at least. If I don't make sure you stay off your feet Pias will have my head." Zakir said with a chuckle.  
"But I see I've already commandeered you bed, where will you sleep tonight?"   
"The old chaise in the living room is comfortable enough. Suited me well when the wife and I were fighting."   
Zakir seemed in such a good attitude about Legolas staying as a guest, that the elf felt guilty. "I have no way to repay you," he said, bowing his head.  
Surprisingly, Zakir laughed a hearty bellow, startling Legolas making him look back up. "An elf in my home is payment enough. It's an honor to have one of the fair folk gracing a town such as this."  
"And what town might that be?"  
"Herbsten. A little village, but full of character. Every summer the market grows here enough to attract merchants from Rohan and sometimes Gondor. But, that's all it really has to its name."   
"Well, it truly must be a lucky village to have you reside in it." The elf could feel himself starting to drift off, "Forgive me," he yawned again.  
"Ah, you are tired. Rest, and I or Amelia will wake you up for supper."   
"Thank you, Zakir," the elf said drowsily, before his big eyes fluttered closed.   
Hesitantly, Zakir pulled the blankets up around the sleeping form, safely tucking him in sweetly. 

"Looks like our guest didn't stay awake long enough for me to meet him," Pias chuckled, holding Amelia's hand.  
Hayden, Amelia, Zakir, and Pias all gathered in the small, wooden kitchen. Moments ago, Pias came in holding a large pot full of stew. Zakir held a wooden spoon above the steam and dipped it in, blowing on the stew for it to cool. He slurped what was in the pot down, and raised his thick eyebrows in satisfaction.  
"Perfect, as usual." He said, coming over to Pias and giving the healer a kiss on the cheek.  
"It's my special, healing soup. Not even the worst of wounds can resist my stew." She said, taking the spoon away from Zakir's hand.  
"Hayden, my boy, could you please set the table?" Zakir asked, and got a groan in reply as Hayden grudgingly went to the cabinet where the plates are held.  
"Legolas is very nice, I'm sure he can't wait to meet you!" Amelia said, bounding on her feet.  
Pias smiled down at the little girl with her eyebrows raised, "Legolas, now? So you managed to get a name out of him."   
"Amelia has taken to him almost immediately," Zakir said.  
"He's hurt. He needs our help. Will we help him, Pa?" She looked up at her father with such big brown eyes that he couldn't disagree even if he wanted to.   
"We have Pias here, and she has made it very clear she wants him off his feet for his ankle to heal."  
A frown graced the little girl's face and she rolled her eyes, "No, not that kind of help." She let go of Pias' hand and climbed onto the stool, to sit level to her fathers chest. "This kind of help." She said, poking her fathers chest where his heart lay.   
Pias crossed her arms and smirked, proud and surprised and the intuition the girl seemed to possess, "I'll make a healer out of her yet."   
Gently, Zakir cupped his daughter's small hand in his own, "We will do our very best to help. You're being a great help already, and we all appreciate it." She beamed up at him.  
"The table is set," Hayden said, coming back into the kitchen and hovering nearby the soup. "It smells so good and I'm starving," he complained, wafting in the steam from the stew.   
"Well, this is as good as a time as ever to wake up our guest," Zakir said, picking up Amelia from the stool.  
"Good idea, or else the stew will get cold," Pias agreed, smiling as Zakir, with little Amelia in his arms, went towards the direction of the man's bedroom.   
Night fell, leaving Zakir's rooms mostly darkened except for the light of a single candle on the nightstand, and the elf's unearthly glow. Amelia wiggled in her father's arms, wanting to be set down, and Zakir complied, gracefully lowering his little girl to the ground.   
Both father and daughter slowly walked towards the sleeping creature, watching his chest rise and fall. Amelia placed her little hands on the elf's shoulders and gently shook him.   
"Elfy..." She cooed, "Elfy, wake up."  
Legolas turned in his sleep, resting on his side and lazily swatting the annoying hands from his shoulders, "Just five more minutes, Galion." He said drowsily.   
Exchanging a glance with her father, Amelia bit her lip to keep from giggling. "No, silly, it's me, Amelia."   
"Amelia?" The elf yawned and blinked one baby blue open and rose a slender hand to his face to rub the sleep from his eyes.  
"Supper is ready, and Pias is here, you'll get to meet her!" Amelia said, bouncing with excitement. She grabbed his hand with hers, "Come on, time to wake up."   
Slowly, Legolas rose to a sitting position and pushed the blankets off his form. Trying to stand up, a sharp pain shot through his ankle, making him yelp and fall back onto the bed.   
Zakir rushed to his side, falling on his knees and gently taking the elf's injured ankle in his large hands, "Be careful," he mildly chastised, making the elf blush in embarrassment.  
"Sorry," Legolas mumbled, but his heart warmed to the caring in the man's dark green eyes.   
"Pias says you should keep off the ankle," Zakir said, and moved slowly to make his movements obvious. Placing one strong arm under the elf's curled knees and the other supporting Legolas' back, he tenderly lifted the elf up from the bed, holding him bridal style.   
Zakir bit his lip to keep from smiling when he saw the elf's blush. "Don't worry, you are surprisingly light."  
"You don't have to carry me, I'm certain if I could just have someone to lean on I'd be fine," Legolas said, secretly liking being held and support in the man's arms. He turned his golden head away from the man to hide his blush.  
"And have you hop on one foot everywhere like a rabbit?" Zakir asked, raising one thick eyebrow.  
"Now you're just teasing me."  
"My apologies, Master Elf, but you are just very fun to tease."  
"Is he awake yet?" Came Pias' husky call from the kitchen.  
"I suppose our healer lady is getting impatient." Zakir turned his head to look down at the elf in his arms, and found two inquisitive blue orbs staring up through dark lashes back at him. "Shall we go?" Zakir said with a smile, bouncing Legolas I'm his arms slightly.   
Legolas nodded, still staring at the man. The blacksmith was very handsome, Legolas thought, trying to keep the blush off his face. He had a swarthy completion, curly black hair, and beautiful dark green eyes that shone like emeralds in dim light. In that moment, he thought he was a very lucky elf.   
Amelia opened the bedroom door as Zakir's hands were full. The three came down the small hallway connecting the bedrooms with the rest of the house. When they entered the kitchen, Pias smiled brightly and Hayden looked at the elf with wide eyes.  
"Glad to see you're awake," the healer said, sauntering over, the coins on her sash clanking with the sway of her hips. She motioned for Zakir to set Legolas down at one of the pulled out chairs near the small dining room wooden table.   
The loss of the man's warmth as he placed Legolas gently down was a bit dissatisfying, but the elf offered him a bright smile. "Thank you."   
The smile returned nearly made Legolas' heart skip a beat, but then he mentally chastised himself. He's a man, and you're an elf. Anything more than friendship would end in heartbreak, he thought with a frown.  
"Pias made soup," Amelia chattered, breaking Legolas from his brooding. He gave the girl a soft smile.  
"It looks delicious," he said as Pias leaned over him and used a ladle to scoop some soup into Legolas' bowl.  
"It should have cooled down enough by now to be satisfying, but if not, Hayden," the healer said, looking pointedly at the young boy, "Remember to sip slowly so you don't burn your throat."  
Zakir sat down next to Legolas, Amelia sat proudly on his right. Pias scooted her chair back, making the wooden chair scraped against the hard wood floor.   
"After dinner, I want you to rest again, fair elf. You had a hard day, and my little apprentice here told me sleep earlier didn't come easy to you."  
"She's not your apprentice yet, Pias, she's still too young." Zakir pointed out, ruffling Amelia's head of curly raven hair.   
"Some day, my friend, some day I'll teach her the art of herbs and healing." The healer said with a smirk on her full lips.   
"Elves, we can, um, heal faster than most mortals. I won't overstay my welcome here, I promise." Legolas said between bites of soup.  
"As I said earlier, stay as long as you wish." Zakir replied.  
"You should never leave!" Amelia declared, "I can watch over you so you don't fall down any more ridges."  
Laughter spread around the table at Amelia's declaration and Legolas smiled, a bit embarrassed.  
"Will you go back home once your ankle heals?" Hayden asked. It was an innocent question, but still a feeling of sadness washed over Legolas.  
"I," he started, hoping his voiced wouldn't stutter. Pias sensed the grief in the elf, and her eyes immediately softened. "I don't know if I have a home worth going back to. My father and I, we didn't separate on good terms."   
Zakir cleared his throat. "Like I said, stay here as long as you want. Once you get back on your own two feet, at least."   
"I'm always in need of help, and have two spare bedrooms in my little hut. It isn't much, but I'm sure elven healing practices differ from our own. You could be of great service to me." Pias said.  
"Back home, I was taught many things, healing being one of them. When I was little I wanted to be a healer, actually. Maybe I'll take you up on that kind offer, my lady." Legolas said, offering Pias a true smile.   
"Ha, such manners. But it is much too early to be discussing such arrangements. Don't dwell too much in the future now, elf, focus on getting better."   
Amelia nudged Legolas, "what was your home like, elfy?" She asked, excited. Hayden leaned in too, curious for the response.  
"Well," Legolas said in a kind voice, turning to the little girl, "There were trees larger than anything you can imagine. The kingdom is protected by the elf king's magic, and although our numbers were small, we prospered as much as we were able. My people are very skilled in hunting and fighting, most being great warriors. We understood the forest around us, listening to the wildlife and the whispering of the trees."   
"It's sounds beautiful," Amelia said, enraptured.  
"It can be, the parts protected by the king's magic are especially lovely."   
Hayden scoffed, "Are you saying elves can talk to trees?" He asked, skeptical.   
"Not all. The elves where I'm from can, I'm a wood-elf, and it's a skill only we possess."   
"That's weird," the boy mumbled, focusing back on the stew.  
"Don't be rude, lad," Zakir said sternly, and the elf chuckled.  
"It's alright. To be quite honest there are plenty of strange things I find about humans."  
"Oh? What about us?" The blacksmith asked, raising an eyebrow.  
"Well, you're appearance mostly, like your beard," Legolas said with a smile. "Does it tickle you? It looks like it would."   
"You know, I never thought me having a beard would be considered strange." Zakir though aloud, raising his hand to his face and running his palm over the bristles of his beard.  
The rest of the evening was filled with light questions and soft laughter, with Amelia leading the halls chatter.   
Once the tab,e was cleared of all dirty dishes, Zakir came up to where Legolas was still sitting.   
"Sorry I couldn't be much help cleaning up," the elf said, looking up at Zakir.   
"Well, you do have a broken ankle. One would think that would be a good excuse," the man smiled, moving to pick up the elf again.   
Pias, from her view in the kitchen, smiled at the site. Zakir seemed truly happy to help the creature.   
"Amelia, are you finished scrubbing those dishes yet? I have yet to put you to bed," the healer said, earning a groan from both children as Zakir carried the elf out of the room.  
Once they entered the dark bedroom, the blacksmith tenderly out the elf back down in his bed, raising the blankets and lying them over the prone figure.  
"You are being very kind to me," Legolas said drowsily, looking up at Zakir through half lidded eyes and a sleepy smile of his face.   
"What kind of man would I be if I wasn't to an injured person?" Zakir said knowingly, smirking at Legolas, who softly laughed.  
"I suppose you have a point there," he said, before his breathing evened out and he was lost in elven dreams.  
The man chuckled, lifting a hand to the sleeping elf's face and brushing a stray strand of gold hair back behind a pointed ear. He leaned down to place his lips on the elf's forehead in a kind kiss. "Goodnight, Master Elf." He whispered and blew out the candle, covering the bedroom in the darkness of night, except for the soft glow of the elf's skin penetrating the dark. Not for the first time that day, Zakir though the elf was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.


End file.
